Fingerprints of the Gods

In Hoc Signo Vinces (2012)

Helreidh was born in 1994, out of the mind of two Middle Ages freak (and guitar players), who wanted to merge music and literature in one unique reality.

The band name, for this reason was taken from one poem contained in the famous Old Scandinavian collection called Petic Edda: the poem entitled "Helreidh Brynhildar" (= Brynhild's Journey to the Other World). The band had a stable lineup only around 1996, when Daniele Soravia on Keyboards, Luca Roggi (formerly in Black Jester) on Drums, Franco Violo (formerly in Asgard) on vocals, and Alessandro Arcuri on bass joined Yorick, the ramaining of the two founders, to work on their first album "Mèmoires". 

The album was released in 1997 by Underground Symphony and astonishingly obtained very flattering reviews all over Europe, at the point that Helreidh was invited in March 1998 to play at the first DRPS (Dutch Progressive Rock Stage by www.dprp.nl ) in Bussum, Holland. 

By the End of 1998 the band had already changed lineup. Soravia was replaced by Ivano Massa on keyboards and Salvatore Bonaccorso (in Moonlight Circus) was hired on the drums. They recorded a double EP, with two unreleased tracks: "Fingerprints of the Gods" and "Migrations". These songs were meant to be an anticipation of the full length "Earth Chronicles", which was based on a concept about the ancient civilizations of the world. The double Ep was eventually released in 2001, because beteween 1999 and 2001 the band had serious identity and line-up problems. Unfortunately, "Earth Chronicles" was never released.

During his period in the USA (1999-2000), Yorick got in contact with Gary Wehrkamp from Shadow Gallery and in his studio recorded some tracks, which were meant to be an embryo of a Opera based on the Classical Myth of Orpheus and on its Medieval English version "Sir Orfeo". The Opera title is Orfeo. All these track have been saved up to today, and some of them will be enclosed in the next Helreidh album.

After a long break, due to an intense activity of Yorick in Raising Fear (two album released for Audioglobe/SPV Mythos and Avalon), the band is again up and running and ready to work on a new album, with some old and some new musicians. 
They play live at Valpolicella Metal Fest (Udo, Vader, White Skull, Macbeth, Rain and Thunderstorm) in 2004, but again the band has a split, even though still working at some great material. Three years after their show at Valpolicella Metal Fest and after years of live silence, the Italian Helreidh have a new line-up. It results of the reunion of two of the original band founders: Luca Roggi (drums) and Yorick (guitars). In the ranks with the two veterans the band has Max “the voice” Bastasi (Anarchy X and Great Master) on vocals, Aligi Pasqualetto (professional keyboard player who works also with Aldo Tagliapietra former member of the Orme, and with several other projects) and Francesco “Frana” De Paoli (formerly band mate with Yorick in Raising Fear and now active on several musical fronts as a professional) on the bass. 

The band had a minitour between 2007 and 2008, but Yorick's severe physical problems forced the band to again a bad stop. At the time they were recording for the new album. 

At the end of 2010, after two very long years, Yorick is fully recovered, and they have started back to prepare the new album. At the beginning of 2012 the album is ready, and we are here to tell you a new Helreidh story!




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